The Battle of the Backpack: Back-to-School Safety Tips for Pets!

Believe it or not, back-to-school time can be dangerous for your pets! Every September our amazing team at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) sees an increase in calls related to pets getting into backpacks.

Why should you keep your pets away from your kids’ backpacks?

Well, backpacks often contain items that can spell big trouble for the health of your furry family members, such as gum (which may contain xylitol), medications and inhalers.

So as your kids head back to school, please be sure to stash backpacks and lunch boxes out of your pets’ reach. And since we can’t watch our pets ALL the time, remember that the APCC is available 24/7/365 at (888) 426-4435. Keep that number handy by requesting a free ASPCA Pet Safety Pack, which contains a refrigerator magnet with the APCC's contact info!

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Comments

Backpacks also suffocate the animal not allowing it to breathe properly with the air it is not getting. A dog would have to eat twenty times its weight in chocolate if it was going to hurt the dog in anyway. There are also notebooks with sharp edges you should watch out for along with folders, and any other utensil, pens, pencils, highlighters. All this can harm an animal as well. Not just the food.